


Protection

by goldtoashes, heirsofbrokenlegacies (jarofhearts)



Series: Discord [5]
Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: (Almost) Caring Melkor, Almost Romance, M/M, Mairon Makes Bad Life Choices, Manipulation, Melkor being a creep, Possessive Melkor, Years of the Trees
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:47:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,098
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21683983
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/goldtoashes/pseuds/goldtoashes, https://archiveofourown.org/users/jarofhearts/pseuds/heirsofbrokenlegacies
Summary: Facing an unwinnable battle, Melkor ensures that Mairon remains loyal to him in his absence.
Relationships: Morgoth Bauglir | Melkor/Sauron | Mairon
Series: Discord [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1537228
Kudos: 32





	Protection

From the top of the Ered Engrin, the land was dark and silent, a treacherous quiet before the upcoming storm. Yet when I cast out my senses, I could already feel the slight trembling of the ground by swift hooves and angry feet, could catch a glimpse of starlight mirrored on gleaming armour and shining weapons. Valacirca was flashing high up in the sky brighter than ever, an irate, silent threat.

_ We’re coming for you. You won’t get away this time. _

I realized I had stopped paying attention to the details about a battle plan that, in my heart, I already knew was a lost cause. Of course we had the numbers, thousands and thousands of orcs and other creatures bred in the dark pits of Utumno and Angband within the past years, but in the end, they would only slow down the inevitable. He must know it, too, still he kept talking about the advantages and disadvantages of different battle formations as if there was a serious chance of us getting out of this. I was wondering whether he was pretending for my sake or for his own.

“Listen to me,” I interrupted him, finally turning by gaze away from the land and to him. Ah, such a magnificent creature. I would be sorry not to see his face in the ages to come. “You will go to Angamandi and coordinate its defense. But once they break down its doors, you will be gone, do you hear me? Find a place where they will not find you, I don’t care where or how.”

“You want me to -” Sheer disbelief was crossing his beautiful face. “My Lord… you cannot be serious…”

A flash of anger surged through me, fuelled by the approaching doom I could feel licking at my perception from all sides. The last thing I felt like was patient, so my angrily narrowed eyes should be enough to convince him of just  _ how  _ serious I was. It didn’t fail its intended effects, as he lowered his eyes immediately.

“Forgive me. I’ll do as you say, just -” He broke off mid-sentence, apparently not willing to voice the questions he had, the turmoil of emotions his mind was in so clearly visible on his face.

He did have some good thoughts in that pretty head of his sometimes. And, more importantly, I needed him for this - needed him sharp, loyal and absolutely unwavering.

So I prompted him to voice his thoughts after all, even though my patience was thin.

“What is it?”

He took a deep breath, steadying himself. “I am wondering how it serves you best if you have me run and hide away like a coward instead of staying and protecting you as I swore to.”

He looked back up at me. There was a familiar expression of pride in his eyes, and of barely suppressed anger, but behind that thin  [ façade ](https://www.dict.cc/englisch-deutsch/fa%C3%A7ade.html) , I sensed something much more precious.

Fear. My faithful Lieutenant was scared for once.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me. Unless… unless you think we cannot win this in any case.”

Oh, my beautiful Maia. He truly  _ was  _ devoted to me even through his fear, I could see it in his face, if his always artfully crafted words might not have convinced me already.

It soothed the anger somewhat, made me reach out to take his shoulders into my hands and look straight into his eyes.

“Heeding my orders will never make you a coward, no matter what they are. They all have their purpose. No matter how this will all turn out, we need to be certain that all our work has not been in vain. So if they do win -”  _ When  _ they did. “- they cannot find you. Do you understand?”

”I do,” he replied, trying to maintain his poise. “So…  _ if  _ they win… what do you think will happen? And what do you want me to do about it?”

Now he sounded as doubtful about the chance of victory as I knew it to be. Yet I did not mention it, not intending to add to his fear but needing him to understand the reality of the situation.

“Then I’ll be gone for a while. My loyal Lieutenant… You will gather what forces we will have left, rebuild our strength and wait for my return. Because one day, I will be back, and I will need you to have everything in order for when I do.”

He nodded slowly. “You know your brothers’ and sisters’ minds better than I do, my Lord. What is it that they will do to you?”  _ And will you really be able to return,  _ was the question that went unspoken and that I waved away with an impatient gesture of my hand.

“They will lock me away for a while to keep me away from their precious elves. But I will give them what they want to hear.”

Naive as they were, they would not be able to grasp anything but sincerity, and I’d be able to use it to my advantage eventually. However long it would take.

Yet he didn’t seem to be satisfied with my answer, not entirely. 

“What if they demand that you make me return to them?” 

Oh, my beautiful, scared little Maia. As if I would ever let them get their hands on him again and ruin all the work I had put into him. Such a long time, such delicate craft.

No, Mairon. You were mine.

I let my features soften and reached up to take his face in both my hands.

“They cannot and will not. It is in your design to choose who you”  _ serve _ “follow, and within my brethren’s not to contest it. They have no hold over your bond to me, and can only get to you if they find you, but not through me.”

“They won’t find me,” he promised, the look in his golden eyes unwavering. “Not that I believe they’ll search for long. And I’ll make sure you’ll find everything as you desire when you return.”

I really had done exceptional work with this one.

The smile on my lips came without my any effort. I tipped his face up to me to lean down and press my lips to his, a feeling of triumph surging in my chest.

They might win this battle and take me out of the game for a while. But, oh, the actual war would continue, and they would not even realize it. And I had my most powerful weapon right here.

Resourceful, determined, and oh so loyal.


End file.
